If you’ve been online for any amount of time, you know that the Internet is out to get you. Okay, it’s not the Internet, but it’s the evil folks who surf the net while twisting their unrealistically long moustaches that you need to look out for.

These evil folks like to steal your identity, buy things on eBay that you don’t need, and do an assortment of other icky things with your information. Long story short, you don’t want to be broadcasting sensitive or personal info when you’re not sure who is watching.

The problem, of course, lies in the fact that you’re a job seeker. Just about everything in today’s job search is online! To get hired, you have to put yourself out there. Social media sites are commonplace and RezScore even encourages putting your resume online. Where do we draw the line?

Everyone has their own preferences. You probably know a few folks who put everything out there while others refuse to even sign up for Facebook. Here are a few tips every job seeker should consider to ensure online privacy:

Nix the extra details

On your online resume, social media profile, and anything else you do online, nix the extra details. No employer needs to know your social security number, or even phone number upon first contact. If you are cautious about including your entire address, include only your city and state. Make your name and a reliable email address available for them to contact you.

Review your privacy settings

If you’re on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or some other social networking site (visit us!), then you absolutely need to be on top of your privacy settings. If you haven’t checked in a while, it’s time. Facebook especially has fallen into the habit of changing their privacy settings frequently and sometimes without warning.

Check the locks

When you’re home, you check your locks to make sure that you’re safe, right? Just like the deadbolt in your door, many sites have security measures built in so that users can feel comfortable sharing their info. Depending on your browser, check somewhere around the address bar for a lock symbol, which will tell you how secure the site you’re on is.

What do you think? What other things should job seekers do to protect private information? How serious do you consider privacy? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Gerrit Hall is the CEO and co-founder of RezScore, a free web application that reads, analyzes, and grades resumes – instantly. Gerrit has successfully combined his passion for computer science and the careers space by helping job seekers write the best resume possible. You can connect with Gerrit and RezScore on Facebook and Twitter.